RUGBY FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22025, 7 August 1933, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL

OTAGO v. SOUTHLAND BLUES EASILY DEFEATED BEATEN BACK AND FORWARD Otago was soundly beaten by Southland back and forward at Rugby Park on Saturday before a very large crowd of spectators, and if the Maroons reproduce their form against Otago next Saturday they will won again. Moreover, the Ranfurly Shield is not beyond their grasp. Where the Blue forwards were noticeably out-generalled was when loose scrums had been farmed after a man had been collared or the game, otherwise held up momentarily. Thomas would have the ball heeled to him at once, and away would go his backs. The Maroon forwards knew too much for the Blue pack in tactics, and they had a dash and a "devil” which were not apparent in the play of the Otago forwards. It must not be thought, however, that the Blue forwards could not get the ball from the scrums. In the second spell particularly they gave Simon _ plenty of the ball, and they also hooked it at times in the first. Thereafter the Blue supporters watched in gloomy silence.. Those who saw Otago play at Invercargill last year had the unwelcome memory of the ball coming from the Otago scrum and then from back to back —-the Southland backs urging and driving the pass from man to man—till at last the Blue wing three-quarters were safely jammed on the line or left to be taken by the opposing wing three-quarters. Amazing as it may appear, exactly the same thing happened \ on Saturday. It was indeed most aistressing. Moreover, Rae, Uttley, and Smith were not running up to their opponents before passing, and it •seemed that their first idea was to get. rid of the ball. It was strikingly evident in the first half, when the Blue backs were blocked, man for man, as the ball was passed straight across the field, that a short punt to the "gap” was the only method of penetration or thrust. The Blue backs never tried it once. They were indeed obsessed with the orthodox. In the second spell Rae realised the position, and he tried the short punt, and it remains to be said that these occasions were the only , times when the Blues looked dangerous. ■ Some life will need to be put into the Blue pack and some alterations .could well be made in the Blue rearguard, in which Uttley was a very weak link. _ Simon s defence -was not always what it might have been.. He sent the ball out smartly in the second half, but made little, if ’ any, attempt to vary his play. Still, his first job is to get the ball away from the scrums, but with his outside backs getting the attack nowhere he might well have tried some other method. Rae was well watched, and did nothing put of the ordinary, but he, at least, had sufficient football brains to realise that if one method of attack was not successful there could be no harm in trying another. Uttley and Smith were not impressive. Dunne ran with all his usual gameness, but M'Kay knew his man and brought him down time and again with low tackling. Dunne, however, was practically called upon to take the ball and M'Kay at the same time. M'Skimming, on theother wing, played a useful game.. His collaring w r as sound and his line-kicking also. A. solo effort by the country player brought the only score registered by Otago. There was a throw-in close to the Maroons’ line, and the ball was knockedback to M'Skimming; standing on the side line. His way appeared to be effectually blocked, but he made a dash, into the thick of it. and next moment everyone was surprised to see him coining out th'e other side and going over. He lost the ball, but Slyfield fell ’on it. Taylor fielded the ball safely' and geneing being quite good. Naturally enough he had little chance of stopping when the Maroon forwards and backs came away in passing rushes which quite bewildered the opposition. The Otago forwards could well take a lesson in the art of backing up from their southern opponents and also in the art of helping their backs to open up the play. It was difficult to pick out any Otago forward as being outstanding, On Saturday’s showing there should be some strengthening somewhere. Southland had the will to win. and dominated the play, taking the game as a whole. ~ , . , When all is said, it would have taken a real good side to beat Southland on Saturday. The weak points in the Blues side are not put forward with any suggestion that Otago might have won hail they not been in evidence. They are only being mentioned in order that an attempt may be made to remedy them —not as an excuse. As a matter of fact Otago were a bit lucky to get out of it with a loss of only 23 points to 5 points. Porter, at full-back, kicked well, but was not certain with his ground fielding. M'Kay was the best of the three-quar-ters. His tackling and running were, indeed, excellent. Mitchell showed that, he knows the centre three-quarter position, and that it is no good to hand on the ball to another player who is in the same position, or a worse position, than himself. He might be blamed for trying to go too far once or tw-ice. but nevertheless his play' has distinct promise. Gothics played a useful game. His handling was not always good, and he lost one sure try bv this fault in,the first spell. Grant and Sharp were well fed by Thomas. The five-ejghths linked up well, and provided the opening thrusts of the attacks by the Maroon backs. Sharp also did some very effective straight running. He should certainly not have been allowed- to, at times, go as far as be did. The weather was fine overhead, but the ground was a bit on the heavy side. THE TEAMS. The teams were as follows:--Southland. —Full-back, G. Porter 13.2; three-quarters—J. H. Geddcs 12.2, A. M'Kay 12.0, N. Mitchell 12.10; fiveeighths, R. Sharp 11.6; D. G. Grant 12.4 (captain); half-back, G. Thomas 10,12; forwards —R. Donnelly 12.8, J. Mattingly : 13.4, C. George 14.2, G. Purdue 14.9, I. ’•Galt 15$. W. Southern 14.6, R. Berry 14.2, T. Metcalfe 13.2. Otago.—Full-back, J. Taylor 10.12. three-quarters —W. Dunne 11.0, H. M'Skimming 12.0, H. Smith 11.10; fiveeighths—K. F. Uttley 10.9, Rae 10.4; —H. Simon 10.6; forwards—H. Service 13.0, J. Hore 13.0. M'Donald 11.10, M'Farlane 13.0, F. Vorrath 14.2, W. Gibson 13.2. J. Findlay 14.2, D. Sly ficld 12.10. FIRST SPELL. Otago kicked off with the wind, but the Maroon forwards, Galt in front, at once carried the play to the Blue* line. A

scru-pi was formed and Thomas passed to Sharp on the blind side. Sharp went up to Dunne aiid passed to M'Kay, who raced over. Porter kicked a fine goal. Three minutes’ play. Southland i 5 points. Otago Nil. Give and take play followed and passing went out at the Maroons’ twenty-five to" M'Skimming, but he missed the ball, and the Maroon forwards dribbled back past halfway. Taylor’s kick was charged down, but Simon got back and saved with a line-finder. At this stage the Blue pack were well holding their own. A bad pass by Simon from a scrum let Metcalfe away, and he started off his backs, M'Skimming taking Geddes in fine style. The Maroon backs came into action again at the Blues' twenty-five. Mitchell broke away from an attempt to stop him by Smith, and passing went to Geddes. who dropped a low pass with a clear field in front. The Blue backs started passing, but it went right across the field, and Mitchell stopped M'Skimming. Southland were getting the ball from the scrums, and the Blues could not throw off the _ pressure. Twice Taylor just managed to kick out as the Maroon forwards came surging through. Berry made a good run, and from a loose scrum at .the Blues left corner the ball was passed to Grant, -who went over at the goal posts without u hand being laid on him. Porter kicked a goal. Twenty minutes’ play. Southland 10 points. • Otago Nil. The writing was already on the wall. It ■was quite clear, even at this early stage, that the Blues had litle chance of winkling. Vorrath stopped a Southland rush at midfield with a line kick. The Maroons, playing with great dash, came- again. Mitchell passed to Metcalfe, who was dragged down under the posts. Hard scrummaging followed at the goal posts. Then Galt forced his way over, but apparently lost the ball, and tbe referee ruled a force. M'Skimming again stopped Geddcs at the end of'Southland passing. The Blue forwards relieved the pressure, but they could not hold off the Maroons, who came .with a spectacular bit of passing. Sharp made a good cut in on bis right wing and passed to Grant, to M'Kay, who went over and round. Porter kicked a goal. Thirty minutes’ play. Southland 15 points. Otago R>h The Blue supporters were not pleased to see their backs passing from a scrum flatfooted. The Blues were now hooking the ball from the scrums, and M'Kay was getting to Dunne and bringing him down as the straiglit-across-lhc-field passing reached him. Sharp was doing some good, straight running, and was being given far too much liberty by somebody on the opposing side. With four minutes to go to half time, M'Donald went off hurt and Agnow came on , , The Blue backs started passing, but once again Dunne was collared by M'Kay with no ground gained. At last • Dunne got fairly clear, and put in a good run along the left side-line before be was pulled down, and Rae stopped Geddes as he was racing away on the opposite wing. Halt time was then called. i Southland 15 points. Otago Nil. SECOND SPELL. Southland were soon on the attack, and alter Sharp, Mitchell, Grant, and again Sharp had handled the latter knocked on in front of the Blues’ goal with a clear run in. A lucky ground kick by Smith drove back an attack to halfway. Porter punted to Taylor who foiled to get the lino, Sharp securing and running along the side-line past half the Blue team and throwing infield, and from ensuing play the Bines forced. A scrum was formed on the Bine line, and Taylor took M'Kay well as ho was running through on the blind side. A hard speculator by a Bins forward helped his side a bit. and then the Soutlilandors, for a minute or two. played all over the opposition. M'Skimming stopped Geddes, and after give and take play Taylor was collared in front of his goal, Rae securing and kicking out. Play went to midfield and Dunne made a solid dash. Porter taking him well and being injured. Uttley kicked hard after passing bad broken down, the ball going past Porter, and Southland forced. The Blues had a turn at attack and M'Skimming was almost over on the right wing. The Blues kept up the pressure. The ball was thrown in from a line-out, and was then knocked back to M'Skimming, who dived into the tight play and got across but lost the ball, Gibson scoring. Service kicked a fine goal. Southland L r > points Otago 5 points Rae short punted after receiving the ball from Simon at a scrum and dribbled past Porter. A scnini was formed on the Maroons’ lino, sheer weight and strength by the Southland pack driving back the

attack. Porter carried the ball over his line after- fielding a short punt by Rae and a scrum was formed. Simon passed to Rae, to Uttley. The last-named was standing right in front of the goal, and he was quite justified in trying a pot. He, however, kicked the ball into Sharp’s arms. Sharp broke away and in a splendid piece of passing between backs and forwards—passing really up to All Black standard—M'Kay went over unopposed and Porter kicked a goal. Rae and Taylor made a valiant attempt at midfield to stop tbe movement, but they were outnumbered. Southland 20 points Otago 5 points Southland again attacked and Sharp knocked on near the Bines’ line after a good bit of passing. With 10 minutes to go Geddes was well tackled on his loft wing. A scrum was formed and Geddes ran in to make the extra man. The ball went right through the chain to M'Kay, who ran and passed infield to Mitchell, the last-named leaving the Blues standing. Porter missed the goal kick. Southland 23 points Otago 5 points A badly-judged kick by a Blue man from In front of his goal saw M'Kay take tbe ball and streak along the sideline. Ho passed to Mitchell who went over but Inst the ball as he was collared and the Blocs forced. Time was then called. Southland 23 points Otago 5 points Mr J. Ewart was referee. He was somewhat lax on the knock-on rule.